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Asian grocery stores are treasure troves for ethnic ingredients, from durian fruit to pandan jelly. They’re also a one-stop shop for unique and delicious canned goods that you likely won’t find anywhere else. Canned sardines in soy sauce are one such canned food that you’ll only find at an Asian grocery store because they aren’t your average water- or oil-packed canned sardine brands. These Asian-style canned sardines are packed in sweet soy sauce, distinguishing them from the more conventional Western-style canned sardines with a completely different flavor profile.
Whereas canned sardines from Mediterranean countries use earthy olive oil and occasionally spices, herbs, and aromatics characteristic of regional cuisine, the sweet soy-packed sardines found at Asian markets pile layer upon layer of umami richness. Sardines provide a salty, mildly oceanic savoriness that sweet soy sauce both enhances with a fermented savoriness and saltiness and complements with a sugary sweetness. Furthermore, many sweet soy tinned sardines have additional ingredients like ginger and monosodium glutamate for an even more intense flavor and aromatically spicy finish.
If you don’t have an Asian grocery store in your vicinity, you can find soy sauce-packed sardines on Amazon. These Nissui Canned Sardines in Sweet Soy Sauce are highly rated and come in a pack of three cans, supplying various meals and snacks throughout the week.
How to use canned sardines
As a tinned staple, soy sauce-packed sardines are ready to eat right out of the can. They are also tender, with tiny bones that you will hardly notice. We have a long list of the best uses for canned sardines, which was written with oil- or water-packed sardines in mind. But many of the suggestions will work with soy sauce-packed sardines and provide even more possibilities for the dish in question. For example, you can add soy sauce-packed sardines to tuna salad for an Asian twist. Additionally, try adding them to this recipe for tuna salad nori wraps that calls for Kewpie Mayo and sriracha, other Asian grocery store staples.
While Western canned sardines are a great addition to pasta with red sauce and capers, canned Asian-style sardines will taste delicious in a stir-fried noodle dish like a soba noodle and bok choy stir-fry or these spicy garlic Szechuan noodles. Canned sardines are also the key to affordable at-home sushi, and sweet soy-packed sardines already come with the classic seasoning that usually accompanies your favorite rolls or nigiri. Add soy-sauce-packed sardines to a healthy grain bowl with brown rice, a jammy egg, avocados, and grilled cabbage steaks with furikake.
